Kebal
27th February 2010, 00:16
Although initially expected to fight Pat Barry (5-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC), heavyweight Gilbert Yvel (36-14-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) instead will fight Ben Rothwell (30-7 MMA, 0-1 UFC) in June at UFC 115.
Sources close to the event today confirmed the change with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) and said verbal agreements are in place for the bout.
UFC 115 is expected to take place June 12 at GM Place in Vancouver, British Columbia. The night's main card airs on pay-per-view.
With Barry no longer facing Yvel, Barry vs. Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic is expected for UFC 115.
Yvel, 33, was unsuccessful in his much-anticipated octagon debut when Junior Dos Santos stopped him with strikes at UFC 108 in January. A striker by trade, Yvel was picked up by the UFC shortly after the collapse of Affliction Entertainment and entered the promotion with eight wins in his prior nine fights.
As MMAjunkie.com reported earlier this week, Rothwell recently pulled out of a UFC 110 matchup with "Cro Cop" due to a nasty bout of traveler's flu. He was hopeful he'd get a second shot at Filipovic but instead meets an equally dangerous striker in Yvel.
Rothwell, a longtime IFL fighter and one of the now-defunct organization's top stars, made his UFC debut in October and suffered a TKO loss to top contender Cain Velasquez at UFC 104. Prior to the loss, Rothwell posted 14 wins in a 15-fight span.
Sources close to the event today confirmed the change with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) and said verbal agreements are in place for the bout.
UFC 115 is expected to take place June 12 at GM Place in Vancouver, British Columbia. The night's main card airs on pay-per-view.
With Barry no longer facing Yvel, Barry vs. Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic is expected for UFC 115.
Yvel, 33, was unsuccessful in his much-anticipated octagon debut when Junior Dos Santos stopped him with strikes at UFC 108 in January. A striker by trade, Yvel was picked up by the UFC shortly after the collapse of Affliction Entertainment and entered the promotion with eight wins in his prior nine fights.
As MMAjunkie.com reported earlier this week, Rothwell recently pulled out of a UFC 110 matchup with "Cro Cop" due to a nasty bout of traveler's flu. He was hopeful he'd get a second shot at Filipovic but instead meets an equally dangerous striker in Yvel.
Rothwell, a longtime IFL fighter and one of the now-defunct organization's top stars, made his UFC debut in October and suffered a TKO loss to top contender Cain Velasquez at UFC 104. Prior to the loss, Rothwell posted 14 wins in a 15-fight span.